


Always Come Back to You

by multifandom_fanatic



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Canon Divergence, First Kiss, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Lots of kissing, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Minho is a good friend, Newt is alive, Newt is so in love, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-The Death Cure, Prompt Fic, Romance, Safe Haven, Teasing, The Last City, Thomas writes a letter, Tumblr Prompt, gally is a good friend, newt held out hope his tommy would come back for him, newt is not dead, slight angst, thomas is so in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 05:57:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14826639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandom_fanatic/pseuds/multifandom_fanatic
Summary: Devasted and grieving the loss of Newt, Thomas is left grappling with how to move on without his best friend and the man he loves. The only way he can let Newt go is to write a letter in response to the letter Newt wrote him, and leave it at the place Newt died. But when he gets there, he's taken completely by surprise when said love of his life appears before his eyes, alive and healthy. Thomas takes the chance to finally reveal how he truly feels for Newt, and Newt is all to happy to reciprocate those feelings with kisses and unspoken declarations of love.





	Always Come Back to You

**Author's Note:**

> Even though I've written a couple Dylmas fics, this is my first Newtmas fic. Shoutout and a big thank you to @ifyoucomeawaywithme on Tumblr for giving me this prompt to write. My apologies it took 5 months to write. I hope you like it!  
> I hope I did all the characters and the ship justice. Here's to all the Newtmas shippers still in denial over Newt's death.

Thomas tapped his pen against the wooden table, the click of the pen echoing in the pauses between the waves crashing on the shore. He looked down at the paper, ink blotches mixed with tear stains, let out a strangled cry, and crumbled it; tossing it onto the sand with the handful of other papers strewn inside his tent.

He started to write again, but the pen tore through the paper as he pushed down too hard. A sob wracked through his body, and just when he grabbed the edge of the table to throw it out of the tent in frustration, Minho grabbed him by the shoulders and tugged him into his arms.

“It’s okay, man, let it out. Shush, just let it out,” Minho murmured.

Thomas shoved against the older boy angrily for a moment before he broke down. “I can’t. I can’t do it. How did he do it? How did he just write that letter without… without-”

“He was one tough shank, that’s how,” Minho replied.

“I need to do this. I have to. I just… can’t get the words. They won’t come and I just…”

“Hey, man, come on. Let’s get out of here for a sec, yeah? Come with me for a minute,” Minho said, guiding Thomas out of the tent.

“I can’t, Minho. I need to get this done before the ship leaves in an hour to go back,” Thomas argued.

“Just trust me. You need to clear your head.” Minho led Thomas out of the tent and down the beach, away from the Safe Haven towards a single person sitting in the sand. They walked until the beach met the cliffs and Minho sat down next to Gally, facing the ocean. Thomas hesitated a second before joining them.

“You know, he wasn’t without emotion when he wrote that letter,” Gally spoke up.

Thomas whipped his head around to look at Gally. “What? How do you know that? How do you even know about the letter?” he asked.

“He wrote it while we were sleeping, when we were outside the walls of WCKD. I woke up and he wasn’t with the group. Of course, I panicked and went looking for him. He was out in the rubble of where they opened fire at everyone. He was kicking at things and screaming and crying. When I grabbed him, he shoved the papers into my chest. It took me five minutes to calm him down. When I asked him what was going on, he didn’t say much. He just kept repeating that he didn’t want to leave you and that he had to write it all down so you knew the truth. He said, ‘I want Tommy to remember me, the real me, not this version of me that I can’t control.’ He made me swear not to tell you. I don’t think he wanted you to know he was suffering or that he was in pain,” Gally said, kicking at the sand.

Thomas remained silent for a moment, watching the water creep up the sand towards them. He was at a loss for words. How did he reply to something like that? Finally, he said softly, “Thanks, guys”

Minho nodded, reaching out to squeeze Thomas’ shoulder. “He cared about you. A lot.”

“He cared about you both, too. Minho, all he wanted at the end was to get you home safely,”

Thomas replied, finally looking over at the boy sitting next to him.

“I know.”

The three boys looked back out at the horizon; watching as small specks moved on and off the ship, preparing to head back.

“You’re sure you don’t want to come back with me?” Thomas asked, directing the question at both of them.

Minho nodded. “Taking a letter back to Newt, that’s your thing, man. It wouldn’t be right for me to impose on that. We all have our ways of grieving. You need this.”

“Sorry Greenie. I lived on the outskirts of WCKD for long enough. Besides, I said my goodbye to Newt already. It’s your turn to finally get the time to say goodbye,” Gally added.

Reaching out, Thomas tugged Minho into an awkward but welcomed sideways hug while simultaneously bumping Gally in the shoulder. “Thank you, Minho. Thank you, Gally.”

“You’re welcome, dumb shank. Now go get that letter written. You don’t want the ship setting sail without you, do ya?” Minho teased.

Thomas grinned and nudged Minho with his shoulder. “I’ll see you in a few days, yeah?”

“You’d better. If you get your shuckface killed out there so help me God I’m bringing you back to life just to kill you again,” Minho replied.

“What he said, Greenie,” Gally echoed, giving Thomas a smile.

The boys got up together, and Minho tugged Thomas into another hug. Thomas understood it for what it was; Minho saying he couldn’t lose his other best friend.

“I’ll be back, don’t worry,” Thomas said. “I’ve got a plan and everything.”

“Oh, great. You’re definitely dying then.”

Thomas grinned, winking at Minho, and saluting to Gally, before he took off at a run back to his tent.

The good mood from all the teasing lasted until he reached his tent. All the pain and frustration hit him as soon as he stepped inside and sat back down at the wooden table. He reached up, about to throw the rest of the paper away and give up on the idea when he saw Newt’s letter to him on the edge of the table. He picked it up, tracing his fingers over the elegant scrawl of Newt’s words, searching for the hidden words he so desperately needed. That’s when he knew what he needed to write to Newt; what he needed to say but never got the time to.

 

_ Dear Newt, _

_ I haven’t known what I wanted to say to you for the longest time. I want to say sorry for not protecting you. Sorry for not being able to cure you. All it would have taken was a few drops of my blood. _

_ I would have done anything- let you do anything- to get my blood in your system. _

_ The Safe Haven doesn’t feel right without you. I don’t feel right without you. I feel like a massive part of me has died with you. That you’ve left a gaping hole in me that keeps bleeding. _

_ It’s taken me almost two weeks to figure out why. You may have followed me anywhere, Newt, but my heart would have followed you anywhere. _

_ I’m not just grieving you as a friend. I think Minho and Gally know it, too. I’m grieving you as a lover. I loved you, Newt. You were the best part of me. You kept me from straying too far off the path. You were my rock. _

_ When I’m ready to move on, I promise to live for you and for me. I promise to take care of our friends and do what’s right for all of us. But for right now, I need to keep you close; hold on to the memory of you that I have, because it’s all I’ve got left of you. _

_ You’re wrong, though. If I could go back, I would change one thing. I’d tell you that I was in love with you before you were gone, so I wouldn’t have to live in regret for the rest of my life knowing that I never told you the truth. You weren’t just my friend, Newt. You were my everything. I wish I’d gotten the chance to tell you. _

_ Goodbye, Newt. Thank you for showing me that life is worth living and fighting for. _

_ Thomas _

\------

Thomas squeezed the walkie talkie in his hand as he walked through the ruins of the Last City. He knew Vince was just a few blocks over with a group from the Safe Haven to provide backup if something went wrong. Somehow, he got lucky everyone understood he needed to leave this letter at the place where Newt died and hopefully find his body to bring back to the Safe Haven to bury properly.

Stopping short, he took a deep breath. Just around the corner was the exact location. The place where he lost not only his best friend but the love of his life.

“I can’t do this,” Thomas mumbled to himself. He felt himself take a stumbling step back and his breathing stutter into short gasps.

Almost as if predicting Thomas' reaction, Vince's voice came through the walkie talkie. “Don't back down now, Thomas. You’ve gone through too much to not take those last few steps. You need to do this to heal- to grieve and let go.”

Thomas took a deep breath and nodded, before realizing Vince couldn’t see him. “Thanks for the pep talk, Vince,” he said into the walkie talkie. Then he winced. The last time pep talks had been made, it had been Minho, Newt, and him about to jump out of WCKD headquarters.

Everything revolved back to Newt.

Vince was right. Grieving and letting go didn't mean Thomas had to forget Newt, it just meant he had to cope with the loss and find a way to live with the pain. It was time to say goodbye.

With one final glance down the ruined street to the sector Thomas knew everyone was waiting for him, he finally pushed himself to turn around the corner onto the bridge.

Staring at a dark rusty patch on the broken pavement where Newt had fallen, the flashback to that night hit Thomas so hard he doubled over. He could see in vivid detail the fight for control he and Newt had. The moments of clarity in Newt's eyes fading in and out as the virus took control. The final moments as the knife plunged into Newt's chest and Thomas felt the life draining away from his best friend while his nickname fell from those lips one last time.

The deep sobs ripped from Thomas's chest and he collapsed onto the ground where Newt's body had last been but now nothing remained. “Newt… I’m… so… sorry,” Thomas choked out, the words slashing his throat into shreds to match the state of his heart.

With trembling hands, he tugged the letter out of his pocket but he couldn’t let it go. He grabbed it tightly into his fists and for the first time since he lost Newt, he let the emotions take over. He knelt on the floor and let the tears fall as the shudders wracked his body

The word ‘Newt’ fell from his lips like a prayer, over and over again.

“Tommy, is that you?” a voice called.

Thomas hiccupped and sobbed harder. Now he was hearing Newt's voice calling him and it hurt so much more. His Newt was gone and he was reaching the stage of hysteria where he could hear his dead friend.

A hand reached out and shook his shoulder violently. “Tommy? You’re here. You came back for me!”

Thomas turned around in confusion and came face to face with Newt. A scream bubbled up in his throat and echoed off the ruins of the buildings.

“You… you’re not- you’re dead… saw you die… not real,” Thomas babbled.

“I’m real, Tommy. I’m real,” Newt reassured. “I've been looking all over for you. Where have you been?”

Thomas studied Newt closely. He looked into his eyes and found them clear. He let his gaze travel over his face and saw no signs of the virus. He slowly took in Newt’s whole form and saw the healthy Newt from the maze.

“How are you alive? I watched you die. You had the flare,” Thomas said, ignoring Newt's question.

“I never died. Same thing that happened to Gally. The people outside the walls saved me, much like they did for him. I’m not quite sure how they did it other than they had secret stashes of serum stored up and it would be enough to keep me going. They did some other stuff too, but I was out of it so I’m not sure what the details are,” Newt replied cheerily.

Thomas blinked slowly, trying to process the information Newt had just said.

“What’s the matter? Aren’t you happy to see me, Tommy?” Newt teased.

“I- no. I mean, yes, of course. I just- this isn’t possible. You died. I came here to mourn you, to let you go,” Thomas stuttered.

“Well that’s quite rude considering I’m still here and alive,” Newt replied, keeping the tone light.

Thomas’s fingers slid into his pocket, dancing across the cold glass tube he’d kept with him since that night. “I have the cure,” he mumbled.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said I have the cure. It’s me. I’m the cure. Something about my blood. Teresa created one vial of the cure before she died. She made it for you but…”

“But you never got the chance to give it to me,” Newt said, finishing Thomas’s sentence.

Thomas nodded. Slowly he extracted the vial and held it out to Newt.

Newt shook his head. “I don’t need it.”

“Yes, Newt, you do. The serum helps but it isn’t a cure. This is the cure. Please, take it,” Thomas urged, pushing the vial into Newt’s chest.

Newt hesitated for a second before wrapping his hand over the one Thomas had against his chest. He nodded and gave Thomas a small smile. “What’s that in your other hand?” Newt asked, finally noticing what Thomas still held tightly in his grasp.

The brown haired man startled, looking down to the letter squeezed tightly in his hand. He hadn’t even realized he was still holding it in the confusion of what was happening in front of his eyes.

“It’s a letter. I wrote it to you in response to the letter you wrote me,” Thomas said averting his eyes.

Newt gave Thomas’s hand a gentle squeeze, causing Thomas to look back up to the blond man again. “You read that?” Newt asked softly.

Thomas nodded, his vision suddenly blurring. But when Newt reached out to take the letter, the brunet stumbled backwards out of Newt’s grasp.

A flash of hurt sparked in Newt’s eyes for a brief moment before he covered it with a laugh. “What? Don’t want me to read what you wrote, mate?” he joked.

Thomas glanced down at the letter in his hand and then back up to Newt. “No, I don’t.”

Newt took a step backwards with a sharp nod. “Right, okay.”

Thomas shook his head and smiled softly. “You’re an idiot, Newt. I want to tell you what I wrote now that you're in front of me.”

Newt laughed and stepped closer to Thomas. “And what does this letter say, exactly?”

“First off I wrote to you that my blood could have saved you,” Thomas started to say. He glanced away, suddenly feeling like he couldn't swallow around the lump in his throat. Newt's hand appeared in his vision as it wrapped around his wrist. He took a deep breath and forced the words out. “How I would have done anything or let anything happen to get my blood in your system.”

Newt's choked off stutter broke the silence around them. “Tommy,” he said softly. He gave Thomas's wrist a gentle squeeze.

Thomas shook his head, afraid to make eye contact. “The main part of the letter… I wrote how the Safe Haven wasn't right without you. I've been there with Minho, Gally, and everyone else who was saved. I was lost without you, like a piece of me was gone when I lost you.” He looked up at Newt with pleading eyes, hoping the blond man would understand what he was trying to say.

Newt looked at him curiously, but nothing in his expression displayed any knowledge of what Thomas was trying to convey.

Bracing himself, Thomas took a step closer until he was in Newt’s personal space. “You really want to know-” he started to ask.

“Yes. Tell me,” Newt said breathily.

Thomas opened his mouth to say something but changed his mind at the last second. ‘What the hell,’ he thought to himself.  Instead he reached forward, grabbed the front of Newt’s dirty jacket, and yanked him forward.

He waited a brief second to analyze Newt’s expression, and when he saw the smirk settling across Newt’s face, he closed the distance by tugging Newt forward the rest of the way until their lips met in a soft yet passionate kiss. Newt’s arms wrapped around his neck and Thomas sighed into the kiss.

When the brunet felt like his lungs might combust, he attempted to pull away. Newt chased him, though, and they were kissing all over again. Hands gliding over clothes to reach skin, breaths mingling together, warms presses of lips with the softest teases of tongues.

It felt like a century had passed before Newt pulled away and began to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Thomas asked, feigning a hurt expression.

Newt threw his head back and laughed, his fingers tangling in the hairs at the back of Thomas’s neck. “You. You’re funny, you dumb shank.”

Thomas huffed and pretended to pull away.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to do that. I mean, really. You couldn’t have done it before my apparent death?” Newt teased.

Flushing hard, Thomas ducked his head to hide his blush. “Shut up,” he mumbled, tucking his face in Newt’s shoulder. “How was I to know you wanted this, too?”

Newt burst out laughing once again. “You’re the idiot, Thomas. How were you so oblivious? I started flirting with you from the first day you came out of that box in the Maze. Everyone knew I was flirting with you, expect for you.”

“You liar!” Thomas accused, tilting his head to rub his nose up Newt’s neck towards his ear. “I flirted with you in the Maze. I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Alby kept nudging me towards you and winking at me. How did you not realize I was checking you out all the time?”

The brunet pulled back slightly and they both looked at each other and laughed. “Can we admit we’re both fools who apparently missed the obvious signs we were both into each other?” Newt asked.

Shifting his head up, Thomas pressed his lips to Newt’s jaw and trailed kisses to his lips. “I’ll admit that if you shut up and kiss me.”

“Deal,” Newt replied quickly, their lips meeting in another kiss. Just as Newt’s tongue pressed into Thomas’s mouth, sending sparks down both of their spines, the walkie talkie attached to Thomas’s belt crackled to life.

“Thomas? I’m not sure how much time is appropriate to leave you to grieve but we need to be leaving soon if we want to find shelter for the night before the sun sets,” Vince’s voice said, ruining the moment.

Newt’s eyes darted to the walkie talkie and back to Thomas. “Was that Vince?” he asked.

With a grin, Thomas nodded and grabbed the device from his belt.

“Alright, I’m ready. I’ll meet you back at the place we diverged. And I’m bringing something with me, just letting you know,” Thomas said, smiling over at Newt and earning a dazzling smile in return.

“I swear to God, Kid, if you’re dragging cranks around I’m leaving you here,” Vince replied, but his tone was teasing through the speaker.

“I’m shoving this live crank at your face so it eats you and then I’m taking your position in the camp,” Thomas shot back easily.

“Gotta try harder than that, Thomas. I’ll see you in five.”

Thomas clipped the walkie talkie back to his belt and reached out for Newt again. “You ready to come home?” he asked sweetly, pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of Newt’s lips.

“That was incredibly corny and cliché. I hope you know that, love,” the blond man teased. He looped his arms around Thomas’s waist and kissed him properly. They stood that way for a few moments, pressed against each other and kissing deeply.

When Thomas pulled back he realized he was still holding both the letter and the vial. Carefully, he placed the letter back into his pocket and pushed the vial into Newt’s hand. He wrapped his own hand around Newt’s until the vial was enclosed in the blond man’s fist.

“We have an injection tool at the Safe Haven. You’re taking that as soon as we get there. I’m going to watch you inject it to be sure it actually gets into your bloodstream and to insure you get the full dose of the cure,” Thomas said, posing it as a statement so there was no room for argument.

Newt opened his mouth to reply, but instead he just nodded, rubbing at his glazy eyes with his free hand to stop the tears from falling. “We can finally go home to Minho and our family?” he asked softly. “It’s over?”

“Yeah, Newt, it’s over. Time for us to go home. Together.”

“Together,” Newt repeated, leaning forward to kiss Thomas again. And again. And again.

‘To hell if they showed up to the meet-up point a few minutes late,’ Thomas thought to himself as he got lost in the feel of Newt’s lips against his own; Newt’s hand sliding up the back of his shirt to rest against the bare skin between his shoulder blades, as his own hands grazed across Newt’s hips. Vincent would let it slide when he saw Newt was alive and well in Thomas’s arms.


End file.
